


Store policy

by der1r3yes



Category: Last Podcast on The Left (Podcast) RPF
Genre: Alternate Universe - Coffee Shops & Cafés, M/M, There will be smut at some point, kinda slow burn, this is my first time writing lpotl stuff so go easy on me
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-09-23
Updated: 2019-09-30
Packaged: 2020-10-26 19:00:43
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 5
Words: 7,653
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20747159
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/der1r3yes/pseuds/der1r3yes
Summary: Every coffee shop has that one barista who looks like they haven’t slept for 3 years.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> this is highkey inspired by MrsMegadrive’s convenience store AU fic so if you’re reading this, I blame you entirely >:•)

It had been a pretty standard Tuesday morning for Marcus; he’d served all the early morning commuters their espressos as they passed through on their way to work, the parents on their way home from dropping the kids into school and then the hoards of college students that came flocking in at various points throughout the day on their breaks. 

The coffee shop was almost empty by 4pm and thank Satan for that as the three hours of sleep Marcus had under his belt were beginning to catch up to him at this point despite the copious amount of caffeine he had pumped into himself throughout the day, one of the only perks of working there was the free coffee.

Muffling a yawn into the palm of his hand, the brunette grabbed a damp dishcloth in one hand and a bottle of sanitiser in the other before sauntering around the counter to begin wiping down some of the tables since it was nearing the end of his shift. He smiled politely at the elderly couple sat by the window and offered them a refill which was thankfully declined, he didn’t fancy hauling his ass back behind the counter right now.

His mind began to wander as he wiped down the tables before stacking a few chairs on top, thinking about what he was going to have for dinner, he’d probably just finish off last nights leftover pizza... He did put that in the fridge right? Too deep in thought to hear the bell above the door ring, Marcus glanced up from the tabletop he was scrubbing down to see a short, bearded man dressed in a loud Hawaiian shirt cursing under his breath as he shifted his weight from foot to foot and he peered over the counter. Pocketing the dishcloth and hanging the sanitiser bottle from his belt loop, Marcus approached the man and offered the best customer service smile that he could muster as he slipped behind the counter. “My apologies, sir, I didn’t hear you come in.” He greeted, poking at the till screen to bring it back to life before glancing over it with dark circled eyes. “What can I get for you?”

The man visibly jumped at the sudden voice, though the tone Marcus used was soft and his brows furrowed at the sight of the lanky brunette as he looked him up and down. “You work here? You look more like a grave robber than a barista.” He commented before shaking his head. “Where’s your bathroom? I gotta go so damn bad and every other fucker’s shut up shop!” 

Marcus stifled a snicker at the man’s comment regarding his appearance, he couldn’t really be offended, the guy definitely had a point. He watched as the redhead continued to hop rather dramatically from foot to foot and he caught his lower lip between his teeth and let out a quiet sigh. “I’m afraid our bathrooms are for paying customers only, company policy.” He told him, holding his hands up in a mock surrender, the look on the guy’s face certainly wasn’t a happy one. “You’ve gotta be shitting me... Alright, get me a coffee, black! And make it fast, you scrawny bastard or else you’re gonna have a lot more cleaning to do!” Henry barked as he dug out his wallet and slapped down a ten dollar bill whilst staring impatiently at the man who just snorted and gave a nod of his head, turning around to begin preparing the guy’s drink. “You want that to go?” Marcus asked over his shoulder to which he received a prompt answer of ‘yes, I don’t fucking care, just hurry the hell up’. 

Marcus couldn’t help but chuckle to himself at that and used his head to gesture towards the bathroom. “Right over there, man, I’ll have your drink done for you when you get back.” Without another word, Henry sped off in the direction of the bathroom, door slamming behind him. 

Well, this guy was officially the most interesting customer Marcus had served in a while. 

Pressing a plastic lid down onto the steaming cup of coffee, he slid the drink onto the counter and tucked the money away into the till before placing his change and receipt beside the cup and crossing his arms over his chest as he awaited the redhead’s return. 

Henry sighed in relief as he wiped his damp hands on his pants before exiting the bathroom and shooting the barista a look as he pocketed his change and took a look at the receipt. “Four dollars and twenty five cents for a black coffee?! Seriously? This had better be the best damn coffee I’ve ever had.” He snapped before squinting at the server’s name at the bottom of the paper. “Marcus.” He muttered his name with a shake of his head to which Marcus just grinned and pointed to the small condiments unit by the door. “Milk and sugar is over there if you need it.” He offered sweetly, earning an eye roll from the man who simply huffed as he grabbed the hot drink and took a sip. “Later, Skeletor.” He said, holding his hand up in a horn sign over his shoulder as he headed for the door. Marcus blinked his tired blue eyes at the gesture before nodding his head and raising his own hand in a polite wave. “See ya around, man.” He called as the door closed behind the customer and he smiled a little to himself as he turned his back to start shutting down the machines for the evening. 

The old couple left around five minutes after the loud guy, thanking Marcus on their way out. He wished them a good evening before locking up, turning the sign to ‘closed’ and heading to clean up their table with a hum. He withdrew his phone from his pocket and set it down on the counter, putting on some music; an old Indie band he listened to as a teenager and he shut down the rest of the machines and wiped down all the surfaces before removing his apron and hanging it up on a hook in the back room. He had the next couple of days off but part of him wished he didn’t, he wanted to see if that guy would come back.


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> this chapter is pretty short and a little rushed but more will be coming soon! 
> 
> thank you for reading :•)

Upon returning home, Marcus discovered that he had in fact put the leftovers of yesterday’s pizza into the fridge. He smiled to himself as he grabbed the cardboard box and flipped open the lid, taking a slice and rolling it up calzone style before stuffing it into his mouth and reaching for a can of soda, he needed the sugar to help keep him awake long enough to eat and take a shower.

Throwing the box down onto his very cracked leather couch, Markus perched on the edge of a cushion and opened up the can to take a long gulp before he wiped his mouth on his sleeve and opened up his laptop that was on the coffee table in front of him. He opened up a new tab and entered a movie steaming website; down time meant spooky time. He scrolled through a couple of pages of ‘recommended for you’ horror movies before finally settling on The Shining, a classic. He noticed several popup ads for porn sites as he set up the movie, reminding him of just how long it has been since he’d last hooked up with someone, it’d also been a while since he last wrestled the eel... Well, at least it gave him something to do on his day off. 

Hitting play on the movie, he sunk back against the couch cushions and brought the half empty pizza box onto his lap; nothing like a homicidal Jack Nicholson to help you forget your pent up sexual frustrations, he thought to himself as he swallowed down a mouthful of cold pizza.

Marcus must’ve dozed off at some point during the movie because he found himself opening his eyes to the end credits rolling, the pizza box now facedown on the carpet (thankfully he’d managed to finish what was inside before it dropped) and his neck as stiff as the dude’s cock on the popup ad for penis enlargement pills. 

Groaning groggily as he straightened up from his slouched position, he brought a hand back to massage weakly at his aching neck before closing the tab and heaving himself slowly to his feet for a cold shower, it turns out his neck wasn’t the only thing that was a little rigid.

\- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 

After stripping off his clothes and stepping under the lukewarm stream of water, Marcus shuddered as he dropped a hand down between his thighs to take care of his morning wood? Night wood? Whatever it was. 

The feeling of his own hand against his phallus somehow felt so foreign to him, it really had been a long time, huh? Still, it made it all the more enjoyable to finally take the time out to pleasure himself. The speed of his strokes slowly began to increase and he could feel his knees weakening with each jerk of his wrist, so much so that he ended up pressing his free hand up against the tiles with a wet slap for some support, his forehead soon joining.

Marcus let out a shaky breath as he felt himself drawing closer to his climax, now doubled over in desperation as he thrust into his hand and bit back a low groan. The warm water continued to rain down on his slender form, rolling down the expanse of his back and dripping from his dark locks whilst he jerked himself over the finish line with a moan of triumph as he finished all over his hand and let out a satisfied grunt. That definitely felt a whole lot better out of his system...

Washing his hands off under the shower head, Marcus watched as his semen disappeared down the drain and he huffed out a heavy breath as he reached for his bottle of 3-in-1, squirting a decent amount into his palm before rubbing his hands to create a bubbly lather that he raked through his hair and then used to scrub under his arms. He rinsed himself off shortly after and was soon out of the shower with a navy blue towel draped around his slender hip bones and a red toothbrush in hand. 

He finished off in the bathroom and grabbed a fresh pair of underwear and an old graphic tee from his clean laundry basket, quickly changing and padding barefoot through his apartment to unfold his pullout couch into his bed for the night, grabbing the pillows and duvet from a pile in the corner where he had abandoned them that morning. He settled down for the night with a headphone in each ear and a pleasant smile on his face; so much for his weekend plans of jacking off, looks like he’d have to go out after all.


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> finally getting some Ben action!!!

Part of him wondered if that loud mouthed little leprechaun man had come back during his couple of days off from work, he’d asked his colleague if she had served anyone that fit his description whilst he was away to which she shook her head, no.

That was a shame; he seemed like he could be a fun regular to have.

Marcus went about his usual morning routine of refilling the condiment unit with napkins, wooden stirrers and sugar sticks, swiping a few and stuffing them into his pocket so he could get his sugar kick later on when he needed a little extra boost. It was his safe for work alternative to snorting cocaine in the bathroom.

Once he had finished his tasks, he rejoined his colleague behind the counter with his slender arms crossed loosely over his chest as he leant up against one of the coffee machines, awaiting their first batch of customers. “Why were you asking about that guy? He a friend of yours?” The woman asked curiously, glancing up at the skeleton of a man at her side as she sipped the foam from the top of her coffee. Marcus gave a huff of a laugh and shook his head in response he cracked open his energy drink can and raised it to his lips to take a gulp before setting it down beside him. “You know I don’t have friends.” He joked as he uncrossed his arms to crack his knuckles as he continued to stare absentmindedly at the door with those dark, sunken eyes. “No, he just seemed like a fun dude...” He murmured. She winced at the sound of him cracking his knuckles and covered her ears with a snort of laughter. “And you wonder why you haven’t got many friends, you weirdo.” She commented fondly before a smirk graced her lips and she elbowed his ribs lightly. “You seem disappointed, did you like him?” She enquired with a suggestive wiggle of her brows which sent Marcus into a hysterical fit of wheezing laughter at the sheer thought of himself with the short, ginger stranger. “God no! He wasn’t my type at all.” He told her truthfully once he’d finally caught his breath, a toothy grin still lingering as he finger combed his dark, shaggy locks from his face. Marcus had always been fairly open about his bisexuality, often joining in when his female colleagues would gawk at the somewhat attractive construction workers across the street who always came in on their lunch break. 

Thankfully their conversation was cut short before she could ask exactly what his type was, a group of mother’s who had very likely just dropped their kids off at school. Greeting them with a smile, Marcus got to work on their orders.

\- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 

The rest of the day seemed to drag on forever and Marcus found himself staring blankly out of the window more times than he’d care to admit. Eventually his colleague knocked off for the afternoon and he was left alone in charge of the store for the final few hours of the day. Breathing out a heavy sigh, Marcus kicked his half full mop bucket out into the empty shop floor, carrying his mop over his shoulder as if it were an axe and he were about to go on a murderous rampage; if he wasn’t somewhat sane, he probably could’ve been tempted to do just that, it would certainly be more fun that mopping the floor. 

Or at least he assumed it would be.

After submerging the mop head into the soapy water, Marcus started to drag it across the floor with ease, sunken eyes following the mop as he pushed it around until the floor was sparkling in the dim evening sun. 

If the bell above the door hadn’t already alerted the brunette of the presence of a customer, the familiar booming voice would have certainly done the trick. “Your coffee was pretty good, beanstalk, but I told you it was fuckin’ expensive!” Henry stated as he eyed Marcus upon entering, he wasn’t alone this time however, he’d brought a friend. A very tall and handsome friend. “See, Kissel, told you it’d be empty.” He said to the much larger redhead, slapping him on the back as he spoke.

“Best overpriced coffee around, or so I’ve heard.” Ben said with a husky chuckle, casting a friendly gaze in Marcus’ direction and nodding curtly to which the brunette grinned ghoulishly and shrugged his shoulders lightly. “Customers always right.” He said as he wrung out his mop into the bucket and started to push it back towards the back of the store behind the counter. “Or so I’ve heard.” He added over his shoulder with a snort. “What can I get you guys?”

“I’ll take the same as the other day, black coffee.” Henry said as he took a seat at one of the tables nearest the counter, shedding himself of his jacket and draping it over the back of his chair to reveal his ‘Property of Area 51’ t-shirt. The much larger man remained on his feet for a few moments, cedar brown eyes scanning the drinks menu above the counter but sneaking the occasional glance at the rather creepy yet cute looking barista. “Uh, I think I’ll take the same.” He spoke up after a moment, catching Marcus’ eye and beaming warmly before seating himself opposite Henry at the table. “Two black coffees comin’ right up.” Marcus called, Texan accent much thicker due to his sleep deprived state; though the two redheads had certainly caused him to perk up considerably despite his body threatening to give up on him at any moment. 

Knocking Ben’s ankle a little too hard with his foot, Henry grinned deviously as he leant across to whisper loudly to his friend as Marcus got to work on preparing their drinks. “See what I mean? He’s totally your type and in your league for once too!” He said, ignoring Ben’s grimace and mutter of complaint. “Hey! No need to kick me, just tap my arm or something next ti- Wait, what do you mean ‘for once’?” The taller of the two seemed mildly offended at the comment but quickly brushed it off in favour of discussing the barista known as Marcus. “You really think he’s in my league?” He asked quietly, ducking his head behind one of the tabletop menus, as if trying to hide from any absent glances the brunette may shoot their way if he heard them whispering like two teenage girls. “Absolutely, man, you’re both freaks!” Henry blurted out with a wild gesture of his hands. “You’re a fucking Sasquatch and he looks like he digs up corpses in the middle of the night to talk about how his day went.” 

Whatever the two of them were talking about, it seemed to be pretty intense from the way the smaller man’s arms were flailing around. Marcus found himself smiling faintly to himself as he set the two mugs of piping hot coffee down onto saucers and deposited them onto a tray along with some plastic wrapped cookies from his own collection of snacks out in the break room. He carried the tray over to their table and set it down, moving to place a mug and saucer each in front of the pair. “Two black coffees and some cookies on the house, make up for the terrible price.” Marcus said, flashing a quick smirk in Henry’s direction before he tucked the now empty tray under his arm. “Anything else I can get for you?” Henry grinned triumphantly as he tore open the two pack of cookies and shoved one into his mouth, whole. “Now this is more like it!” He exclaimed, far more excited over a free pack of cookies than any man of his age should be. Ben gave a roll of his eyes as he watched Henry before he sighed fondly and shook his head, offering Marcus another tender smile as he reached for the mug. “That’s all for now. Thank you, Marcus.” He responded gratefully before taking a sip of his drink and letting out an appreciative grumble. “Goodness gracious, you weren’t kidding, Henry... This is some damn good coffee.” 

There was something about seeing this good looking stranger enjoying something he had made that caused Marcus’ heart to flutter for a moment, though that could also have been the considerable amount of caffeine in his system finally taking its toll. “It’s made with love, darlin’.” Marcus chirped somewhat affectionately as he winked at Ben and then proceeded to take his leave from their table side. “Let me know if you need anything else, I’ll just be back here cleaning.” He called from the safety of the other side of the counter, a deep crimson blush beginning to bloom across his usually sheet white cheeks. Was he really flirting with this guy? He hadn’t attempted to flirt with anyone in a long time for good reason.

Ben damn near choked on his second mouthful of coffee as Marcus sauntered off after such a coy little comment. Henry was beaming from ear to ear like some kind of demonic Cheshire Cat as he watched their exchange. “You gotta ask for his number!” He hissed enthusiastically to Ben, giving him a firm smack on the arm which the man barely seemed to notice as he wiped a few stray droplets of coffee that had spilled from his lips into his thick beard. “You really think I should? I mean, he’s super cute and doesn’t seem put off by my size...” Ben murmured into his cup as he dared to sneak a glance at his best friend (and now wingman, apparently) who was still grinning like a madman. “He’s totally into your size, Kissel! If you’ve got it, flaunt it buddy!” He told him, gulping down his coffee in a flash and snatching up Ben’s untouched pack of cookies, he was potentially playing Cupid here so he definitely deserved them.

Marcus found himself peeking over the counter every now and then to check out the giant of a man sat just a few metres away, he felt absolutely ridiculous... But he could definitely get used to the nice warmth that arose in his chest every time he heard the man laugh. It wasn’t long however before the two approached the counter and Marcus had to hide his disappointment that they weren’t staying longer, he would’ve happily kept the shop open a few hours more if it meant he could continue to admire to redhead. He smiled at the two as he tapped their order into the till before glancing over it and catching Ben’s eye momentarily. “That everything? Nothing else for the road?” He asked before cashing them off. Henry gave Ben a nudge, though it was barely noticeable from the way the much larger man held himself. “Actually, there is something...” Ben murmured as he dug out his wallet to pay for their drinks, bravely forcing himself to look Marcus in the eye as he spoke. “Could I, uh... Could I get your number?” He asked, face flushed a soft pink colour as Marcus’ brows shot up. “My number? Yeah, sure.” He responded quickly; he probably sounded way too eager to give out his number to a stranger but at this point, he couldn’t care less. “I’ll write it on the receipt for you.” He said with a sweet smile before telling him his total and grabbing a pen ready. 

Well, that was far easier than expected.

Ben beamed, eyes sparkling rather excitedly as he reached into his wallet to take out fifteen dollars and press it into Marcus’ outstretched palm, his hand lingering over the man’s for a few moments longer than necessary but he didn’t pull away until Ben did, cheeks flushing faintly as he tucked the money away into the till and began digging around for his change. “Keep the change! Consider it a tip for such wonderful service.” Ben said, holding his hands up as he watched Marcus scraping around to return the correct change. “Yeah? Thanks, man.” Marcus said as he instead pocketed the change and then tore the receipt from the printer to scribble his number on it along with a fairly goofy looking smiley face and his name. He passed it across to Ben, enjoying the way their hands brushed together once more during the exchange and he smiled, placing his hands on his hips as he watched the redhead fold the paper and tuck it into the pocket of his denim jacket. “No, thank you, Marcus.” He hummed with a nod of his head before suddenly gasping and weakly smacking his palm to his forehead. “I’m Ben by the way! Just so you know who it is when I text you.” He said with a chuckle. “And that’s Henry.” He gestured to the shorter man who seemed to be engrossed in some game on his phone, clearly bored of watching the two eyeing each other up. Marcus let out a laugh of his own at that and nodded his head. “I think I’d know it was you, it’s not very often I give out my phone number.” He said truthfully, crossing his arms over his chest as the corners of his lips curled up into an almost sheepish grin. “But it’s good to have a name for the face, Ben.” Nodding in agreement, Ben scratched at his beard and returned the grin brightly before they were interrupted by Henry who seemed to be listening all along. “Don’t forget about me, string bean!” He barked at Marcus as he pulled on his jacket and headed for the door with a triumphant smile, gesturing for Ben to follow. The brunette snickered softly and he shook his head. “No chance of that, fun size.” He teased. “I’ll see you guys around.” He said as he sauntered around the counter to follow them to the door ready to lock up for the night once they’d left. “Hail yourself, Marcus.” Henry finalised with a display of horns on his fingers, Marcus returned the gesture with a low hum. “Hail yourself, Henry.” He repeated back to the man before turning his attention to Ben. “Shoot me a message later tonight if you want, I shouldn’t pass out for a few hours.” He told him and Ben nodded with a joyful smile. “Will do, hail yourself, Marcus.” He said, stepping out and closing the door behind him with one final smile and a small wave of one hand.

“Hail yourself, Ben.”


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> another short chapter because i’m feeling super generous
> 
> hope y’all are enjoying it so far!

‘I hope you made it home safe!’ -B

‘It’s Ben by the way if you hadn’t guessed :-p’ -B

Marcus glanced aside from the chicken flavour cup noodle he was preparing as his phone buzzed against the kitchen counter and he grabbed it with an eager smile, opening up the message and saving the contact under the name ‘Big Ben’.

‘Such a gentleman, making sure I got home alright :•)’ -M

‘Got back about fifteen minutes ago, just making some food. What about you? Doing anything fun?’ -M

‘Glad to hear it! I’m just taking my dog out for a walk :-) What you eating?’-B

‘Oh, you have a dog? And nothing special, cup noodle.” -M

Speaking of which, it was probably ready by now. Marcus removed the loosely fitted lid and stirred the noodles around with his fork before grabbing the pot and his phone and taking a seat on a stool at the kitchen counter. His phone buzzed once more in his hand and he smiled as he glanced down at the screen and was blessed by the sight of a photo; Ben holding up a small, fluffy white dog who had his tongue out. 

‘This is Puffin!’ -B

‘And seriously, cup noodle? That’s all you’re eating? No wonder you’re all skin and bones!’ -B

Pressing the digit of his thumb onto the screen over the photo, Marcus hit save on the image and shovelled a forkful of noodles into his mouth before texting back.

‘Cute. The dog isn’t bad either ;•)’ -M

‘And awh, I didn’t realise you cared so much, Benjamin. I’ll have a snickers bar for desert if it makes you feel any better.’ -M

The redhead felt his cheeks warm considerably at the sight of the next few messages from Marcus and he sunk his teeth lightly into his lower lip, suppressing a bashful smile as he texted back with one hand, the other holding onto Puffin’s leash as he did his business at the side of a bush. 

‘Nobody calls me that anymore but I think I could learn to like it if you did.’ -B

‘Also Puffin says thank you, Marcus :-)’ -B

‘You’re welcome, Puffin :•p’ -M

Marcus put his phone away in his pocket after sending his final text and he focused on finishing his food, chucking the cup away once he was done and washing up the fork. He grabbed his bottle of medication and swallowed his pills down with a can of lime LaCroix before sauntering lazily over to the couch to collapse and watch TV for a few hours until his sleeping pills started to kick in.

Meanwhile Ben was returning home from his walk with Puffin, he’d bought himself a burger from a pretty dodgy looking van on the way back and was finishing his final mouthful as he bumbled into the kitchen. He stuffed the wrappers into the trash before sorting Puffin’s food, cooing fondly at the little bundle of white fur as he yapped excitedly at Ben’s feet. He soon found himself reclining on the couch with his long legs extended out across the coffee table, reaching to dig his phone from his pocket so that he could text Marcus again.

‘Forgive me if I’m jumping the gun a little here but do you want to meet up at some point?’ -B

‘Meet up? You mean like a date?’ -M

‘If you want it to be :-)’ -B 

Ben certainly hoped it would be a date.

‘Sounds nice :•) When and where?’ -M

Smiling from ear to ear, Ben straightened up from his slouched position to respond, though his phone chimed with another message before he got the chance to finish. 

‘If you say a coffee shop, I’m blocking your number ;•)’ -M

He couldn’t help but laugh at that; he wasn’t planning on suggesting they went on a coffee shop date anyway, they’d practically already done that. 

‘Well, when are you next available? We’ll go from there :-) x’ -B

Ben was hesitant to send the kiss at the end of his text but if they were really discussing going on a date, he figured Marcus wouldn’t mind too much. 

‘I’m off this Saturday if that works x’ -M

Marcus definitely didn’t mind the kiss.

‘Though I’m only free during the day, I’ve got a little local gig with the band I’m in during the evening x :•)’ -M

Marcus was in a band? Did that mean Ben would end up being a groupie if things went well? 

‘Oh, you’re in a band? That’s kinda fun! :-) What do you play?’ -B

‘Drums :•) You’re welcome to come along if you want? We could get a drink together after and then you could come back to my place for pizza?’ -M

‘I’m always looking for an excuse to leave the bar early after gigs anyway x’ -M

Ben felt his blush spreading from his cheeks across his ears and down his neck as he read the invitation not only to the gig, but back to Marcus’ place afterwards.

‘Sounds like a plan! Text me the details and I’ll see you there? :-) x’ -B

‘Will do. Looking forward to it ;•) x’ -M


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i did want to make this chapter longer and include the smut that’s inevitably coming but,,, i figured i’d drag it out a little longer and make you nasties wait so enjoy this for now

If he hadn’t been made aware that Marcus was the band’s drummer, Ben probably would have had a hard time figuring out where his date was in the relatively packed bar. He’d made sure to find somewhere to stand where he would have a fairly good view of the drum set whilst also not obstructing anybody else’s view too terribly, he leant his back up against the wall and took a sip of his Bud Lime as he waited for the band to come on.

He and Marcus had been texting pretty much consistently back and forth for the past few days, teasing and flirting, exchanging photos of Puffin and each other (Ben had secretly saved each and every photo Marcus sent him into a private album on his phone labelled ‘Cute skeleton man’) and both being mutually excited for their date

Now the day had finally come.

Ben wasn’t planning of getting hammered but he certainly needed the Dutch courage of a little alcohol in his system, it had been a long time since he’d been on a date and his nerves had started to settle in as soon as he arrived at the bar. The fact that Marcus was crazy enough to take Ben up on the whole date idea was a promising sign though, right? 

Soon enough, the band was introduced; The Cowmen, and the group filtered out onto the stage. Ben was expecting to see shaggy hair and sunken eyed Marcus sauntering out from the back room but instead he saw... An actual skeleton? It had to be Marcus though, those bright blue eyes that were held open wide gave it away.

For every performance with the band, Marcus alway slicked back his dark hair and would often pair it with a blood spattered cowboy hat to match the bloodied white vest top he wore. He painted his face in varying different skeleton style makeup for every show, some more detailed than others. Tonight however, he opted for something more simple in hopes of having it smeared across his face by the early hours by his date, no point wasting his time on intricate little details only for it to be ruined. 

He immediately spotted Ben upon entering the bar, big goof had found himself a pretty good spot. He wanted to smile at him but didn’t dare risk cracking his makeup or breaking character so instead, he seated himself at his drum kit and kept his eyes open wide and expression blank as Holden introduced the band. He allowed his gaze to travel back to Ben several times however, giving a barely noticeable nod of his head to which Ben gave a little wave and a bright smile in response.

The bands set only lasted for around half an hour and the entire bar applauded and cheered as it came to a close, the band members slinking away from their instruments to mingle with the small crowd and get some much deserved drinks. At some point during the performances, Marcus had raised a cup of fake blood above his head and poured it down his face, letting it drip down from his hat so he hung back for a moment to give the floor a little wipe before it could stain, removing the hat from his head and setting it on one of the tom toms before running those slender fingers through his slicked back hair and messing it into its usual scruffy style. He smiled g as he glanced up and saw Ben approaching him slowly. “Well howdy stranger.” He greeted as he rose to his feet, wiping blood coated hands down the front of his grey jeans.

Something about the sight of Marcus covered in blood with his hair all messed up, makeup starting to run slightly from the sweat that had built up while he was playing was incredibly hot to Ben... He couldn’t quite put his finger on exactly what it was he enjoyed so much about the sight other than the fact it was Marcus. He beamed as he watched the man get up and he took a final swig from his bottle before speaking. “That was a fun show! I’m loving the makeup too, very cool.” He told him truthfully, making a mental note to buy a CD from Marcus later on. 

The brunette let out a hum at the compliment before raising a brow, though it was barely visible since his eyebrows had been blacked out to create the eyes for his skeleton face. “Makeup? What makeup?” He joked, grinning teasingly at the redhead before gesturing to the empty bottle in his hand and then nodding towards the bar. “Same again?” He asked. 

Ben couldn’t help but laugh at Marcus’ little joke, shaking his head fondly as he eyed the slightly shorter man. “Oh, of course! My mistake.” He responded with a continued snicker before his brows furrowed at Marcus’ question. “Hey, I’m the one getting the drinks here, you’ve just worked your ass off on stage.” He told him firmly. “Now what are you having?” He asked. The brunette blinked in surprise at Ben’s rapid shut down of his offer to buy the drinks but he smiled coyly and shrugged his shoulders. “If you insist... I’ll keep it simply and go for a vodka and coke.” He told him, desperately needing the caffeine right now if he was going to last the night like he planned. Nodding, Ben smiled and he ushered Marcus towards the bar and ordered their drinks. There was only one available seat at the bar which Ben offered to Marcus who politely declined it but then smirked wickedly as he watched Ben slide onto the small stool. 

He took a seat across Ben’s lap, draping a long, skinny arm around his shoulders for some support, stubby nails digging into the denim of the man’s jacket as he held onto him with a content smile. “Nice view from all the way up here.” He teased, turning his head slightly to look at Ben’s face up close, practically able to feel the heat radiating from his flushed face. Planting a large hand on Marcus’ thigh to keep him steady, Ben huffed out a soft laugh at the comment and he nodded. “Not a bad view from where I’m sitting either.” He told him as he gazed up at his painted face, now it was Marcus’ turn to blush but thankfully it wasn’t noticeable.

Their drinks were soon brought over and they both reached for them at the same time, hands brushing lightly which caused them both to laugh as they each raised them to their lips to take a sip. “So, pizza and a movie at my place after this?” Marcus enquired, holding his glass in one hand whilst keeping the other held rather tightly around Ben, as if he were afraid of falling to his death from the man’s lap. “Sounds like a plan to me.” Ben replied with a nod of his head as he set his second bottle down on the bar top. “My neighbour is babysitting Puffin and said she’ll call in on him tomorrow morning if I don’t make it home tonight.” He told him.

That sounded promising, thought Marcus with a hidden smirk behind his glass. “Yeah, that sounds good.” He replied, humming contently as he took another gulp of his drink. “How is Puffin?” He asked. “Maybe I could accompany you back to your place tomorrow and meet him? I’m not working until later on.” He suggested, dropping subtle hints that he wanted Ben to stay the night at his place.  
The bearded man definitely caught the hints and he smiled enthusiastically with a nod of his head. “Puffbear would love to meet you! We could walk you to work, I usually take him that way anyway since he likes the dog park nearby.” 

Puffbear? Now that was adorable coming from Ben’s mouth. “Well, it’s sorted then.” Marcus said, smiling and shifting a little on Ben’s lap to get a little more comfortable, definitely not trying to work out if that was Ben’s phone in his pocket or if he was just happy to see him. 

He’d assume it was just his phone for now.

\- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 

Marcus had already explained to the rest of the band that he would be heading off early with a date (he wished he’d taken a photo of their shocked faces) and so upon finishing their drinks, Ben and Marcus slipped out of the bar together and headed towards Ben’s car. The brunette hummed as he slid into the passengers seat and picked a few white hairs from the seatbelt, obviously Puffin usually called shotgun. He buckled himself in and then glanced aside at Ben with a smile, reaching over to place a hand gingerly on the redhead’s thigh as he started to drive in the direction Marcus had told him he lived.

Ben’s face was a soft peony pink, flushed both from being pleasantly tipsy and the warmth of Marcus’ hand on his thigh. He shifted a little beneath his touch but the man didn’t let go which he was grateful for, starting to hum along lowly to the tune playing on the radio before clearing his throat to speak. “So, what’re your go to pizza toppings? This could make or break this entire date so answer carefully.” He said with a gruff chuckle, taking his eyes off the road for a moment to glance aside at Marcus. Pondering the question for a moment, Marcus let out a soft ‘hm’ sound, biting his lower lip lightly and stroking his thumb against the denim of Ben’s jeans as he thought. “I’m pretty boring when it comes to pizza really, I’m happy with good ol’ margarita.” He told him truthfully with a small smile. “What about you? You strike me as a meat feast kinda guy.” He said with a snort.

The two discussed pizza and movie preferences all the way back to Marcus’ place and once inside, the brunette kicked off his shoes and set up his laptop with their movie of choice whilst Ben got on the phone and ordered two large margarita pizzas and some curly fries. 

“Can’t believe somebody other than Henry and I has watched Cannibal Holocaust.” Ben murmured with a chuckle as he stripped off his denim jacket and laid it across the top of the couch before plopping down beside the smaller man who almost immediately shifted closer until they were pressed thigh to thigh. “Can’t believe I’m about to watch Cannibal Holocaust on a first date.” Marcus replied with a grin, shaking his head; it had been a pretty successful first date so far in his opinion. He returned his hand to Ben’s thigh, giving a gentle squeeze as he looked up at the bearded man with a small smile. The larger of the two hesitated for a moment before placing his own hand over Marcus’ and meeting his gaze, returning his smile with a loving twinkle in his eye. “You alright?” He asked him softly, brushing calloused fingertips over the brunette’s knuckles. As Ben spoke in that warm, husky voice, Marcus couldn’t help but let his eyes travel down to the man’s lips, a warmth blossoming in his chest as he gained an uncontrollable urge to close the gap between them and press a slow kiss to Ben’s mouth. 

So that’s exactly what he did.

Ben was too shocked to move at first, brown eyes widening to the size of saucers at the feeling of those warm lips forced up against his own but soon he allowed himself to relax, melting into the tender kiss and bringing a hand up to rest lightly against Marcus’ jaw, using it to slowly tilt his head to the side in order to deepen the kiss ever so slightly. The corners of Marcus’ lips curled up into a smirk as he felt Ben caress his face and he took the initiative to shift himself into the larger man’s lap, one hand grasping at the front of his t-shirt whilst the other rested against his neck, fingernails digging in just enough to leave little crescent shaped marks. 

Ben wound a large arm around Marcus’ slender waist in order to keep his body close as they shared a slow, passionate kiss, smiling as he felt a slight bulge in the front of the man’s tight jeans brush against his thigh as he moved. It seemed Marcus was enjoying this just as much as Ben.

Several heated kisses later and Ben found himself having to pull back for a moment to catch his breath, broad chest heaving as he breathed heavily and let his hand drop from Marcus’ jaw to his thigh which he squeezed timidly with a smile. “My goodness, you certainly know how to take a man’s breath away, huh?” He commented fondly as he eyed the smudged makeup around Marcus’ mouth, bringing a thumb up to fix it slightly but ended up only making it worse which earned a chuckle from the brunette.  
Ben’s beard and mouth was smeared with black and white paint, not that the redhead had noticed nor did Marcus think he would have cared if he did. “Not too bad yourself, Benjamin.” He responded with a low chuckle and a slight shift of his hips, able to feel Ben’s definite hard on through his jeans. The moment was cut short however by the buzz of the doorbell, causing Marcus to roll his eyes and lazily clamber off of Ben. “I should probably go wipe this shit off before trying to eat anything, you mind getting the door?” He asked as he rose from the couch and stretched his arms up above his head, his shirt riding up just enough to reveal a small amount of his abdomen. 

Ben sat dumbfounded for a moment, mesmerised by the sight of the smooth, bare skin of Marcus’ stomach but he gave a quick nod and a clear of his throat as the buzzer sounded once more and he rushed to his feet to answer the door, blissfully unaware of the paint smudges on his face and beard. He opened the door and thanked the delivery guy, trying his best to ignore the strange look he received, probably because of his size he thought. He returned to the couch with the two cardboard boxes and set them down on the table, resting his hands on his knees as he waited for Marcus to return.

The brunette sauntered in a few minutes later with a small towel around his neck to stop his wet hair from dripping down the back of his shirt. His face had been scrubbed clean and was a little red and patchy in some places from where he’d clearly scrubbed a little too hard trying to remove the stains of fake blood. He plopped down beside Ben and leant forward to hit play on the movie on his laptop before balancing his pizza box expertly on one thigh, opening it up and smiling over at Ben. “Bon appetite.”


End file.
